THE THREE SANTA'S CASUALTY
by covblazebabe
Summary: ONE - OFF CHRISTMAS STORY, suitable for all ages, a beautiful story about belief and wishes, red suits, white beards and a ED full of prats!


**Christmas Fanfic for you people! This is a one off! No more chapters will be added, its just a nice short story for christmas time! And for once its not M rated so everyone can read! Parents you can also read this to your children! **

One off chapter!

Nick strolled proudly into the staff room, clutching a clipboard and a coffee "ok everyone settle down please I'd like a word" he started placing his coffee down on a near by table.  
The staff made a few groaning noises and quietened down, all eyes were on Nick which was just how he liked it.

The staff soon realised he hadn't walked in alone, he was with a short, fat man with bulging blue eyes and a huge smile on his face "ho ho ho" the man bellowed slapping his beer belly.

Nick cleared his throat clearly not amused by the mans christmas spirit.  
"Here's the season to be jolly" sang the man.  
"Yes thank you Mr Cox, enough of that for now" spat Nick turning pages over on his clipboard ushering the man towards a seat.

"Ok everyone this is Mr Cox, he's the hospitals official Santa for this year, he will be going round the ED, the wards and probably annoying the hell out of all of us for the duration"

A few people clapped but most didn't seem to pleased to see this man, who was dressed in a dark red striped shirt, had a very unconvincing beard and was wearing odd socks. He didn't look at all like Santa Clause, more like a lost cause!

"I want you all putting in one hundred percent, no messing about" he shot Sam and Tom a look at this point "no skiving off"

"Can we just get to work Nick" sighed Zoe looking slightly coy.

Mr Cox had arranged his grotto in the ED reception, things were going mildly well, all child admissions got a free present, which most didn't seem happy with a tacky plastic toy that fell apart as soon as it came out of the packet, however the ED was in good spirits at least until Santa number two turned up.

Nick and Zoe were stood at the nurses station checking through some notes when they heard the 'ho ho ho's' and 'merry christmas' greetings being handed out by Santa number two.

"Who the hell is that?" Asked Nick.  
Zoe ruffled some papers and looked up "um well I forgot to mention the hospital already has a Santa, a Mr Saxon, I didn't know until you had already booked Mr Cox, he doesn't normally do the ED, he's normally up on Darwin and Keller, I didn't want to say..."  
"Zoe!" Snapped Nick walking over to Santa number two, who was already handing out gifts to any near by child.

He was just about to speak when he heard...

"Who are you!"

This question was coming from Mr Cox, he was now stomping towards Santa number two.

"I'm the real Santa, who are you?" Was his answer.

"You wait all year for Santa to turn up and then two come along at the same time!" Laughed Fletch who had settled down with Tom and Sam to watch the action.

"Oh yeah? Well you can bog off back to greenland! This is my patch" cried Mr Cox straightening his fake white beard.

"Says who?"

"Says me!"

"That beard isn't real, that suit isn't red, and I bet you haven't even got a sleigh!" Challenged Santa number two dropping his sack and moving closer.

"I come with my own grotto!"

"Was that on the bus?"

"I'm the best Santa in Holby!" Mr Cox was sounding angry now stood with his hands on his hips.

"Your nothing but a fat man in a dodgy suit!"

"Look who's talking!" Mr Cox was now lightly shoving Santa number two.

The staff and patients were laughing as Nick stepped forward to intervene "Gentlemen please, why don't you both step into my office and we can discuss this like... Like civilised Santa's?"

"I'm not discussing anything! I'm the real Santa!" Mr Cox cried punching Santa number two on the nose sending him falling backwards and landing on top of Nick.

"Oh, oh" he groaned "your a real pain in the arse! I have rudolf outside you know! He will bite your bits off!"

"And iv got a gang of pixies on the roof, they will beat the crap out if you! You Imposter!" spat Mr Cox, brushing himself off, toddling back to his grotto.

"Santa, Santa, Santa" chanted Noel and big Mac from behind the nurses station.

"ENOUGH!" Yelled Nick scrambling to his feet pulling Santa two up with him "let's get you to a cubicle" he stuttered "the rest of you back to work! We have patients to see!" Growled Nick guiding the man away.

"Well you don't see that everyday" chuckled Tom pecking Sam on the cheek before heading into resus.

"This bloody place at times!" Muttered Nick closing the curtain around santa number two who had refused to be referred to as anything but 'the real Santa Clause'.

"Everything ok Nick?" Asked Zoe.  
"Does it look ok! Does it really look ok?"  
"Sorry Nick I was only asking" said Zoe with a smile, that smile that always made Nick melt, he gave her a half hearted smile back and walked into the cubicle next door.

"Hello I'm Mr Jordan and.."  
"We know who you are!" The tall thin lady yelled angrily "do you know how long we have been waiting!"  
"Yes I do apologise for that Mrs er..."  
"Thomson, Rose Thomson, and this is Jamie my son, he's been very poorly recently" she informed holding her sons hand tightly.

Nick scanned over the notes and nodded with an understanding look on his face.  
"Ah Leukemia" he said raising his head.

"Leukemia is cancer of the blood cells. It starts in the bone marrow, the soft tissue inside most bones. Bone marrow is where blood cells are made.  
When you are healthy, your bone marrow makes white blood cells, which help your body fight infection.  
Red blood cells, carry oxygen to all parts of your body.  
Platelets, help your blood clot.  
When you have leukemia, the bone marrow starts to make a lot of abnormal white blood cells, called leukemia cells. They don't do the work of normal white blood cells, they grow faster than normal cells, and they don't stop growing when they should" he explained, he could see the lady was getting impatient with him here.

He took in a sharp breath and continued as he walked to the boys bedside "Over time, leukemia cells can crowd out the normal blood cells. This can lead to serious problems such as anemia, bleeding, and infections. Leukemia cells can also spread to the lymph nodes or other organs and cause swelling or pain and..."

"Oh god we know what it is! He's had it twice now!" Snapped the woman.

"I'm sorry I was just..."  
"Just examine him! Do what you have to do! He's meant to be in remission!" The woman was now screaming and tapping her foot.

"Yes of course" said Nick putting his stethoscope on and proceeding to listen to the boys chest. After a few minutes he stood up straight and rubbed his chin "he is very chesty, could be an infection"

"An infection! That's what they said last time!"  
"Please Mrs Thomas getting angry with me won't help Jamie will it" Nick pointed out in a professional manner "we need to do some tests, now why don't you go and get a cup of tea and something to eat, let young Jamie here get some rest" he suggested walking out, leaving the woman with a friendly smile.

The woman did as he asked leaving Jamie alone, the boy wasn't feeling to bad, he was now sat up, he had heard the commotion in reception earlier and he knew Santa was in the cubicle next door, he was only 9 and had never been allowed to meet Santa, due to his many years of illness.

The temptation was to much, he threw back the bed covers and ventured to the next cubicle.

"Hello?" He called before entering.

Santa number two sat up and smiled, it was a warm smile, his glowing white beard looked so real to Jamie, his shinning red suit was just how he imagined it would be.

"Hello little boy, what's your name?" Santa asked patting the bed.

"I'm Jamie, are you ok?" He asked jumping up onto the bed.

"Well Jamie I'm certainly not alright, I have lots of children all round the world to deliver presents to and I'm well behind schedule"

"Oh no" answered Jamie unsure of what else to say.

"Perhaps you could help me get out of here, they want to do some tests and I don't have time you know"

"Yeah its bad in here, tests take forever and they never let you go home without a fight" informed Jamie, this was of course true, Jamie was an expert, he had been in and out of hospital for most of his life.

"Well I don't have time for that" said Santa number two "can you help me escape?"

Jamie sat and thought about it for a moment, he knew all the tricks so helping this strange man in a Santa suit escape shouldn't be to much of a problem, after all it was Santa Clause...

The boy left the cubicle for a matter of minutes returning with a green scrubs top "here, stick that on, I'll cause a distraction then you wander out and I'll meet you outside in 5" smiled Jamie.

Santa did as he was told slipping the top on over his festive uniform.  
"Wait for them all to come running then make a dash for it" instructed Jamie heading back to his own bed.  
He lay down and began clutching his stomach screaming in agony "ah oh help, ohh it hurts! It hurts, help me!" He cried as the medical team railed round.

He managed to keep the act up for about three minutes, any medication offered he pushed away, no matter how they tried to hold him down he managed to shake off their grasps.

Charlie ended up with a bloody nose, Tess ended up on top of Charlie and Fletch a pair of sore testicles.  
"Sorry about your jingle balls" laughed the boy.  
"Eh? Your supposed to be in pain!" Stuttered Fletch getting his breath back.  
"Oh yeah sorry, it was a joke, I was bored, sorry" said Jamie grinning from ear to ear.

Charlie and Tess shook their heads and walked out, Fletch on the other hand couldn't hold his mouth "you know you shouldn't cry wolf!" He snapped limping off holding the crown jewels.

The boy smiled to himself and leaped off the bed, he began coughing, deep down he knew the Leukemia had returned, he was all to use to the symptoms, the fever, night sweats, headaches, always bruising or bleeding easily, the bone and joint pain, not being able to finish meals, the constant infections, he knew and he was sick of fighting, sick of the pain and suffering, the tiredness, the weakness.

He sunk his hands into his pockets and wandered outside.

"Jamie! Jamie! Over here!"

The boy looked up and saw Santa two stood by a small car with reindeer antlers on top, tinsel hung from the side mirrors, glitter covered the car.  
He smiles and jogged over holding his chest.

"Jamie, thank you" the man said with a warm smile, that kind warm smile.

"Well merry christmas" said Jamie looking a little down.  
The man put his hand on the boys shoulder "young man, I don't normally do this but because you were kind enough to help me, I will grant you one christmas wish, anything you want?"

Jamie backed away and took a good look at the man that stood before him "a wish?" He said sounding unconvinced.  
"Anything you like" said Santa two getting down on one knee.

Jamie stood and thought about this proposition for a moment, wises didn't come true, Santa wasn't real, but there was always hope, he didn't want to appear rude "um ok" he started as Santa closed his eyes "I wish that I could be better, I want the ..."

"Leukemia gone..." Interrupted Santa opening his eyes.

Jamie stared at him, how did he know? That was impossible wasn't it?

"Um yes, yes I want it gone, I know its back, after they do the blood tests they will keep me in, I want to be home for christmas, I want to be normal!"

Santa shushed him and once again closed his eyes, he places his hand on the boys heart and let's out a sigh, a joyful sigh "granted" he whispered standing up.

"You will be fine now" he smiled reaching into his pocket and handing the boy a heart shaped watch.

"Merry christmas Jamie and fair well, I wish you many years of happiness" said Santa jumping in his tinsel covered car and driving off, giving the boy a friendly wave as he turned the corner.

Jamie smiled and waved, he felt better already, his chest felt clear, he no longer felt weak, he was starving, this was a feeling he hadn't had for weeks months even.

He raced back inside to see his mother and Nick looking very worried, he walked over "mum I feel better let's go home" he demanded in an excited tone.  
"Where the hell have you been!" Grunted Nick trying not to sound to angry "you need tests, back in bed please!"

The boy obliged with a grin, he knew now there was nothing to be afraid of.

Hours later his results were back he could hear the staff discussing with his mother just outside his cubicle.

"I don't understand it" said Nick "there's nothing wrong with him, no chest infection, no tummy bug, no trace of the Leukemia, no nothing!"  
"Its a miracle" stuttered Zoe double checking the results, Fletch was looking closely at them to along with Charlie and Tess.

"Ho ho ho" came a voice from the ED entrance.  
"Oh not another one!" Cried Charlie prompting them all to turn their attention to yet another Santa.  
"Hold on that's Mr Saxon, our regular Santa" he continued.

Nick screwed his face up confused "what? But, if the guy in the grotto who I booked is Mr Cox and that's Mr Saxon the regular Santa, who the hell was the other guy?"

A silence fell upon them, confusion filled their minds.

Jamie on the other hand knew who the other Santa was, he was real, he knew he was real. Clutching the heart shaped watch in his hand, he looked over to the christmas tree that stood behind the nurses station, there was a star on the top, he smiled at it and whispered the words "thank you Santa" ...

**Well there you go children! Hope you enjoyed it! **  
**So was it a miracle? Was it the real Santa? Does Santa exist? **

**Do wishes come true? Only you can answer that...**

**Merry Christmas people! **  
** covblazebabe**


End file.
